The invention relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to stator components of gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engines operate according to a continuous-flow, Brayton cycle. A compressor section pressurizes an ambient air stream, fuel is added and the mixture is burned in a central combustor section. The combustion products expand through a turbine section where bladed rotors convert thermal energy from the combustion products into mechanical energy for rotating one or more centrally mounted shafts. The shafts, in turn, drive the forward compressor section, thus continuing the cycle. Gas turbine engines are compact and powerful power plants, making them suitable for powering aircraft, heavy equipment, ships and electrical power generators. In power generating applications, the combustion products can also drive a separate power turbine attached to an electrical generator.
Vane assemblies and other turbine engine components may experience adverse modal response during engine operation. Some of these modes may be within the engine operation speed envelope and may cause excessive vibration that reduces the life of the components. Conventional ways to retain turbine hardware from such modal response includes the use of pins or hooks to dampen the parts. Oftentimes components must be retained at multiple locations to meet desired tolerances and for safety purposes. Multiple retention points with hooks or pins can create the risk of component over-constraint and binding.